The Forgotten Mark

My last couple of blogs have been stories that have happened to me in my life. But this blog will just be an informative one about the last mark of the church. I see this mark as the forgotten mark. Forgotten not meaning forgotten by the Church or not as important as the others, but forgotten, or misunderstood by some Catholics. This mark describes the origin of the Church and beliefs as rooted in the teachings of the Apostles of Jesus. The Church was built by Christ, planned by God, and built on the Apostles. Peter was seen as the head of the Church, or Pope. Bishops are the successors of the Apostles and continue their work throughout  the Church. All Christians should understand apostolic to mean that there is continuity in the Church's teachings from the apostles throughout history, not just in the 1st century. The Apostles were a very important part in the establishment of the Church. They were the first followers of Christ and preached to everyone. They spread the Good News, and that is continued today through Bishops. Before I was taught the full meaning of this mark I just understood Apostolic to mean that we should be like the Apostles and follow Christ and spread the word. Recited in the Nicene Creed, the Apostolic mark is very important in the Church. It reminds us that the Apostles were the pillars of the Catholic Church and that their work continues today. 

Catholic Families

I had lunch with my grandpa this afternoon. I was supposed to be interviewing him for my AP History project, but we got a little off track. He was telling me about his dad and how he served in WW2. I asked him if his dad was holy, because my grandpa is very holy. He said that without his dad he would have never have become the Catholic that he is today. The second mark of the Church "Holy" is a very important one. I will get back to my grandpa in a few moments, but first let me ask the question What does it mean to be holy? I could give some long definition that may confuse some of you, but I will just give you an easy answer. To be holy means to be Christ-like. I think that my grandpa is very much Christ-like. This does not mean to be the spitting image of Christ, but just to live your life following the examples Christ set for us. Such as: giving to the poor, praying to our father, going to mass, and many many more. Pope Benedict had a few words to say about being holy- "Holiness does not consist in not making mistakes or never sinning. Holiness grows with capacity for conversion, repentance, willingness to begin again, and above all with the capacity for reconciliation and forgiveness." -- Cardinal Ratzinger. He is exactly right. It is ok to make mistakes, you learn from them. It doesn't mean you aren't holy if you make a mistake. You just have to repent your sins and admit you were wrong. Now back to my grandpa. My grandpa has bibles and crosses throughout his house. Does this alone make him holy? No. It does not. He extends the calling to be holy by attending mass almost every day, even on the weekdays, reading the bible (most notably at our Christmas celebration we read the Nativity passage and someone puts Jesus in his manger-great tradition), and volunteering at local places. My grandpa is the hardest working man I know and with the guidance of God and through his holiness, shaped a great man today- my dad. 

Sporting Events

I recently went to a Dynamo game. I am a big soccer fan and have season tickets. I have yet to miss a home game in the past two years. I go to these games with my friends and we have loads of fun. If you take the first mark of the church "One," you can relate it to soccer games or even sporting events. At these soccer games everyone in the stadium is one. We all cheer for the same team and chant the same chants, and when the Dynamo score, we all go crazy and cheer. It seems that every time I go to a Dynamo game my friends and I happen to meet someone new. It could be a group of guys or just one or two.One game we met these guys who went to Strake, they had graduated about 5 years ago. They told us how important

it was to try hard because Strake prepared them well for college. They also told us to get to know your classmates. They said they had a better experience once they united as a class, or became "One." I took this lesson from them and applied it to my life. It's good to have a core group of friends, but every once in a while get out there and start to know other people. This is kind of what the Catholic Church teaches. We are one Church and should act as one, centered around God. I found this at a Dynamo game, all the fans centered around one team (not that the Dynamo are anywhere close to God) and cheering for that team.

Is Love Subjective?

Is love subjective? When first hearing this question I had to further look into what the word 'subjective' means. I was a little confused but defined by Google search subjective means based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions. So is love subjective? I think yes, love is subjective. Love is decided by how you feel, not facts. If you love someone you choose to love them because of what and how you feel. I thought I could get a good perspective of this question by asking my grandmother. She is very religious and when I told her about this blogging project, she seemed interested. Her opinion was the same as mine. 

She explained it to me by saying that she doesn't love me because she is supposed to, she loves me by choice, because of what she feels in her heart. I agree with my grandma on this one. "Love" is indeed subjective. The word is used much too freely these days, much as the word "friend" is. Can someone really LOVE a certain artist or brand of soda? Can a teenager really LOVE their boy/girlfriend? Similarly, I have loads of acquaintances, but only a handful of "friends". Just knowing someone does not mean they qualify as a "friend". 

Have a good day and thank you for reading-The Mad Hatter

Easter

Easter- a time for rejoicing and eating candy. Most people may just see Easter as a time to eat sweets and may only know the minimum--celebrating the resurrection of Christ. Well Easter is more than that. Jesus rose from the dead three days after he died. I have broken my arm before and had to keep it cool for 2 months. He is one pretty tough guy. Most people, when hearing about his resurrection, think "that doesn't seem right" and "is that even possible." Well it is, and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ was the nail in the coffin-it fulfilled our redemption and allowed us to enter heaven with God. Christmas is important, but when it rolls around everyone goes crazy and can't wait for it. When Easter rolls around everyone is just like "eh." People should get more excited for Easter and during the preparation of Easter. I myself was once like this. I knew Easter was important but I didn't celebrate it nearly as much as Christmas. I learned that the resurrection of Christ is the sole moment when our souls are finally redeemed.

Have a good day and thanks for reading-The Mad Hatter